José Y José Liquid and Solid Waste Management has answered the call by Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, for corporate Barbados to assist the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA).
Minister Prescod, after making an appeal to corporate Barbados to assist the SSA with receptacles for collection of garbage in communities, received a donation of two small skips from Chief Executive Officer of the company, Anderson Cherry, at Parish Land, Christ Church, this morning.
Prescod noted that he was having a number of discussions with private sector entities about this initiative to provide receptacles in communities where garbage pile-up is an issue, and José y José was one of the Barbadian companies that responded readily.
The Environment Minister stressed: “I have an obligation to the people in this entire community, and to the Barbadian public in general, and this is just one of the initiatives the Ministry is currently working on.” Other initiatives include how to use waste in a more productive and meaningful way, such as waste to energy and recycling.
He highlighted that the collection of garbage from the receptacles would be done exclusively by the SSA and no private entity, and that he would ask for an increase in the collection of garbage from the area.
Cherry stated that he had seen on social media videos and pictures of garbage pile-ups across the island, and after Minister Prescod made the appeal he and his team decided that they would donate around 25 bins to the SSA to help with community pile-ups.
Pointing out that the receptacles have a special message on them, giving thanks to front line workers and reminding persons to cover their nose and their mouth, Mr. Cherry urged residents to place the waste in the receptacles, and not to have it scattered all around. He added that the SSA would do the pick-ups, but his company would provide the necessary support, whenever the need arose.
Member of Parliament for the area, Christ Church East, Wilfred Abrahams, thanked Minister Prescod and Cherry for providing the two skips to the Parish Land area, and noted that this was just one area in Barbados where road access limits the collection of garbage, and as a result, residents place garbage at a designated spot in a community, which causes pile-ups.
Abrahams stated: “What is beautiful about the project is that this initiative seeks to provide a practical and sensible solution to the situation, by just placing a few bigger receptacles in needed areas, which helps in making the area tidy and reduces the incidence of dogs, cats or rats getting at the garbage.”
He too made an appeal for all of corporate Barbados to step forward. “I encourage the rest of corporate Barbados to look around you and see where you can make a difference. It might not be this initiative, but keep your eyes and ears open, because there will be many more opportunities to help out communities and constituencies and the Government,” he said. (BGIS)
